PERSEVERANCE

PERSEVERANCE Prerequisite of Success I T HAS BEEN very aptly observed that success lies in perseverance. The entire gamut of human history testifies to the truth of this saying. Life’s journey, frequently directed along uneven paths, is one in which one faces many unfavourable situations. Yet the wayfarer has to continue his journey whatever the odds. This is called perseverance. One who possesses this quality reaches the destination of success in this world. The greater the perseverance, the greater the success. This is a law of nature. Just open your eyes and you will find clear indications of this reality. A man, standing by the side of a rock, looked down and found that, due to the continuous lashing of the waves, the rock had worn away. He exclaimed, “Look, the rock is a hard object, while water is so soft. But even if as soft a thing as water acts with perseverance, it can crush as hard an object as a rock into pieces. All the huge quantities of sand found on the sea shores have been produced by this lashing of water against the rocks.” The career of Dr. Subramanian Chandrasekhar (1910-1995), an eminent mathematician, provides a worthwhile human parallel. From his childhood, he showed keen interest in mathematics and astronomy. Later, he took up as the subject for his research the birth and death of the stars. In this connection, he presented his initial conclusion in the form of a research paper at a meeting of Astrophysical Society held on January 11,1935. Scientists of repute, including Sir Arthur Eddington, were present at the meeting. Sir Arthur Eddington ridiculed Chandrasekhar and tore his papers to pieces. Afterwards, Chandrasekhar wanted this paper to be published in the Astrophysical Journal published from London. But his paper was rejected. Disheartened by this discouraging experience, he left Britain for India. Here he applied to different universities for a job but failed to find one. He was rejected both at home and abroad. Yet this was not enough to dishearten Chandrasekhar. He now left India for Chicago, USA, where he found the circumstances more favourable. He devoted himself once again to his research. Gradually Life’s journey, frequently directed along uneven paths, is one in which one faces many unfavourable situations.